It’s shea butter – Ndidi dismisses Vardy’s “juju cream” claim

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has clarified comments made by former Leicester City teammate Jamie Vardy about an alleged "juju cream" used by Nigerian players to treat injuries during their time at the Premier League club.

Reacting in a video shared on his Instagram page on Monday, Ndidi explained that the ointment Vardy referred to was simply ori—a natural shea butter commonly used across Nigeria for skincare and traditional wellness purposes. He revealed that the "juju" narrative was nothing more than a playful joke between himself, Kelechi Iheanacho, and their teammates.

Describing the exchange, Ndidi said: “It’s ori (natural shea butter), and anytime we came back, he would ask, and we’d say, ‘Oh! It’s from a witch doctor in Nigeria.’”

He added: “And when we said, ‘Let’s use it on you,’ he always said no, even when we told him he would score more goals.”

Ndidi's response follows remarks made by Vardy on the latest episode of his Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party podcast, where the former England international recounted humorous moments from the dressing room at Leicester City.

It’s Shea Butter – Ndidi laughs off Jamie Vardy’s “Juju cream” claim

According to Vardy, Ndidi and fellow Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho would occasionally return from brief trips to Nigeria after sustaining minor injuries carrying what teammates jokingly regarded as a mysterious healing ointment.

Recalling the experience, Vardy said: “They used to get injured. Little knocks, then go back to Nigeria for just one day. They come back with a nice big tub of juju cream.”

He continued: “That was the only thing that the masseuse was allowed to apply to the injured area. They used to tell us that it had come from a Nigerian witch doctor.”

Ndidi's explanation, however, puts the speculation to rest, emphasizing that the product was nothing more than ori, with the "witch doctor" story serving as light-hearted banter among teammates rather than a serious claim.